Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe has thrown a wrench into Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya’s recent remarks about the SupremeSat satellite, accusing her of presenting misleading financial data. He revealed in Parliament that a supposed Rs. 12 billion satellite revenue cited in 2012 has mysteriously vanished from later reports. With an investigation now underway into what he calls “satellite fraud,” tensions are rising in the House over one of Sri Lanka’s most controversial space ventures.
Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe told Parliament today that Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya’s recent comments on the SupremeSat satellite were based on inaccurate and misleading information. He insisted that the data she presented about the 2012 launch included financial details that have been misrepresented or are now missing from official records.
The Prime Minister, during her address to Parliament, stated that she was merely sharing information she had received. However, according to Samarasinghe, the financial details about SupremeSat’s operations were wrongly interpreted to suggest that the satellite itself had generated the reported income.
He specifically pointed out a discrepancy in the company’s financial reporting. In 2012, the records state that SupremeSat received Rs. 12 billion in income, reportedly linked to the satellite launch. But by the time the company released its 2014–2015 financial reports, that section of the report had disappeared.
Samarasinghe further clarified that while the Prime Minister’s statement was not necessarily malicious, the figures quoted had contributed to a widespread misunderstanding about the satellite’s actual financial performance and ownership.
He emphasized that an investigation is now underway into what he described as a “satellite fraud,” aimed at uncovering the truth behind the figures and clarifying whether public money or misleading claims were involved in the original satellite deal.
Samarasinghe also reminded the House that public trust depends on accurate and transparent data, especially when it comes to high-profile projects like SupremeSat, which was marketed as Sri Lanka’s leap into space technology.
The Minister’s remarks have reignited debate over the legitimacy of the SupremeSat project, dubbed the “Chichi Rocket” by critics, and have raised questions about who truly benefited from the venture.
As scrutiny deepens, the government is now under pressure to release full audit reports and clarify inconsistencies in both the financial documentation and the public narrative around Sri Lanka’s first satellite project.
